Canadian Leah Kirchmann has been having the season of her life—from back-to-back-to-back wins in Canadian Nationals (road, criterium, and time trial) to a podium finish for Optum Pro Cycling at La Course at the Tour de France on July 27, her star is on the rise. We caught up with the 24-year-old rider after the race, and despite being swamped with media requests (“not something a female cyclist is used to!”), she found time to answer a few of our burning questions.

Bicycling: How did it feel racing in this historic race?
Leah Kirchmann: It was an absolutely incredible experience to be part of the inaugural edition of La Course! I think this race will forever be remembered as a pivotal moment in women's cycling.

And how did it feel being on the podium? It was a dream come true to be standing on the podium next to two of the most accomplished cyclists in the world on the Champs-Élysées.

Going into the race, were you expecting to have such a great finish? I did have some doubts as to my chances for a podium going up against such a strong field of riders. It really helped to know that I would be backed by a very strong team who had confidence in my abilities as a rider. I knew that I was physically capable of sprinting with the world's best riders, but would have to be very tactically smart in the finale to get onto the podium against such a strong field. It was still a huge surprise at the end of the day: This is my first-ever podium finish at a European UCI race!

Tell me a little about how the race played out—I saw that there were some attacks and breakaways. How did Optum handle those? My teammates did a great job covering moves at the front of the race. Speeds were very high in the peloton all day and there were no real defining features on the course, which made it tough for any breakaways to gain much time. There was a sprint point where the pace would usually surge and small breakaways would go. We decided to have my teammate Brianna Walle go for the sprint points from the start. It was a tough fought competition since there were sprint points every lap—that's 13 sprints!

How did it get decided that you'd contest the final sprint? Was that just where you were in the pack, or did you plan it? The team's plan was to work for me in the case of a bunch sprint. My teammates helped keep me in good position all day, and dropped me off near the other sprinters in the race in the final kilometers. There, I was able to get onto Kirsten Wild's wheel before the close sprint to the finish line.

What was going through your head in that sprint? I was just focused on sticking to Wild's wheel and then doing what I could to try and come around. I was shocked to realize how close the sprint was, and that I had just made it onto the podium at one of the most prestigious races on the calendar.

You've had a killer season—would you consider this a breakout year for you? This is the absolutely the best season of my cycling career. I've stepped up my game and proven myself as more of an all-rounder, rather than just a sprinter. However, my coach thinks it's funny when people label this as my break-out year. I've been consistently improving as a rider and have achieved decent results over the past few years.

How was the reception at La Course—were people excited? The atmosphere at the race was absolutely electric with all the anticipation and excitement over the event.

Was the La Course experience different from other Euro racing you've done or did it feel the same? The racing itself felt the same as other Euro racing I've done: It was very fast and aggressive from the start. However, the massive crowds and all the media and hype around the event were a step above anything I've ever experienced.

Do you think after this, we'll see more women's racing in the Tour next year? Given the success of La Course, I would be surprised if there were no women at Tour next year. I hope that the huge success of the race will encourage the organizers to create an even bigger event in the future!